Learning to Ask for Help

Aug 27, 2009 Uncategorized

This week we talked about recognizing when it is “time to invoke help.” I remember thinking: Yes, that is a very important skill to learn and of course, I do it all the time. Sometimes tackling a task on your own just does not make sense. It is often not worth the consequences or your time lost. A perfect example is that I was having “technical” difficulties with something that I had been struggling with all week. I asked Erin for help and within 5 minutes, she had the problem solved! It was such a relief for me.

Having the ability to ask for help is something that I have always considered a strength of mine. But as we continued to discuss real-life examples, I started to realize that I may be great at this in the work environment, but I fail when it comes to my home and personal life. In my mind, why bother people with things that I can take care of myself? I was a little shocked at the difference in my mindset between work and personal life. It has a lot to do with what I have been taught. And what does this have to do with organizing? Organizing is something you learn, and part of getting organized is learning when it is best to ask for help. This is when it dawned on me, I obviously have something to learn here.

The lesson is that everyone has things that they are good at, that come naturally to them. Then there are the things that are not so easy. This is when it is time to invoke help. For me, it is things like sewing. I have a pile of clothes (taking up room in my closet) of hems that need to be mended, buttons that need to be replaced. The pile has been growing for a year now, because I will “take care of it” as soon as I buy a sewing kit. My last two apartment moves were done without the help of movers or friends. Why take up their Saturday afternoon? And maybe next year, when my neighbor offers to put my A/C in for me, I will actually accept. Rather than sit in sweltering humidity because it is just too hot to think about carrying an A/C out of storage.

Whether it is because of a lack of time, knowledge, or skill, there will be moments when someone else can take care of something that may not come naturally to you. Organizing files, creating a system for a kitchen, arranging a closet, time management – these are things that come naturally to me. These I can help people with. But when it comes to technical issues with my blackberry, thank goodness for Erin. And cooking? Well, that is best left to my Italian Landlady.